choir news

Choir NewsSpring 2018The newsletter of Bolsterstone Male Voice Choir

Crotchets and quavers ...We are beneficiaries of the local

charity, the Joseph Sheldon Trust, receiving a substantial grant. We are hugely grateful to Neville Woodcock and the other trustees and thanks, of course, must also go to Joseph Sheldon. But who was he? His is a remarkable story. He was born in Hathersage and endured an extremely hard early life, including a spell working as a young boy at Cocker’s wire mill in Hathersage where Bradwell-born Samuel Fox was an apprentice. Joseph left home “for good” at 13 to work for a Hathersage farmer. Seeking a change at 16, he went to Hope fair where he was hired by Tommy Crawshaw of Park Farm, Deepcar, for £9 a year. But the two fell out after only a week when the lad was made to work on Whit Monday. Joseph then spent a happy time at Joseph Crossland’s Morehall Farm before taking a job as house boy at Samuel Fox’s home at Townend, Deepcar, where Mr and Mrs Fox took a shine to the boy who had walked over from Hathersage on his first day with the family. Mrs Fox gave Joseph lessons in reading and writing and after two years he was made apprentice at Fox’s where he rapidly rose to head of light engineering before becoming chief engineer. He retired in 1907 at 62 after 45 years at Fox’s using his pension and royalties from his many steel-making inventions to travel the world. Much of his retirement was spent in public service. He died in 1935, a life well lived, leaving money for local charities. His munificence is still being enjoyed today. Thank you Mr Sheldon! =

Thanks are also due to for a substan-tial donation from the Bolsterstone

Village Fayre Committee led by Kathryn Cooke, wife of top tenor Graham Cooke, and Carol Webster, wife of choir vice-pres-ident Gordon Webster. There has been for many years a happy and mutually beneficial relationship between St Mary’s and the choir. We sing at the annual Christmas concert and the fayre without charge and in return we have free use of the church for Thursday practices when required. And we help each other in other ways. Our relation-ship goes deep: after all, it was at St Mary’s that the choir was born 83 years ago.

The AGM brought more bounty. Our president John Gill, of Bradfield Brewery, gave us a cheque. And there was a further cheque from our long-standing sponsor PA Jewellery brought by baritone Geoff Waller.We are blessed by great patrons. Cantor

Fran to hand over baton after 22 years

They were teacher and pupil at King Edward’s, now they swap their roles at top of the choir

Former member Dudley Beck dies at 91Members of the choir attended the funeral at Stocksbridge Christian Centre of long-serving member Dudley Beck who died at his home in Stocks-bridge on November 18th at the age of 91. He leaves a widow, Es-ther, a son David and two daughters Lynda and Ra-chel. David delivered a moving tribute to his fa-ther at the well-attended service conducted by the Rev James Grayson.

Forthcoming eventsSat March 10, Race Night, Castle Inn 8.30pm for choir fundsSat March 17, Wentworth Church, Wentworth Village, 7pm. Concert with Thurnscoe Harmonic MVCSun March 24, Valley Festival: The Venue, Stocksbridge. Free perfor-mances - 12noon to 5pm and at Fox Valley 1.45pm-4pm. Concert: 7.15pm, at the Venue, admission by ticket.Sat April 28th, Lomas Hall, Stanning-ton, 7.30pm. Concert with Stannington Brass BandFri May 11, Penistone Paramount, 7.30pm. Concert with Thurlstone Brass Band [email protected]

FRAN WELLS is handing over the musical director’s role at Bolsterstone Male Voice Choir to his deputy Daniel Timmins after 22 years of conducting the choir. But Fran will not be severing his long association with the choir. He is staying on as deputy musical director once Daniel has moved permanently into the MD’s po-sition later in the year after a gradual suc-cession agreed between the two. Fran announced the change in an emotional address to the choir’s annual general meet-ing on Monday January 22nd. “It’s been a heck of a ride,” he said. “Our trip to Malta is a standout memory. I was a young man when I started with you chaps and now I’m retired like so many of you. It’s time for a change for you and it’s time for me to take it a bit easier.” Fran concluded: “When people have asked, it has been a great privilege to say that I conduct Bolsterstone Male Voice Choir.” He received a standing ovation Former chairman Frank Milnes said: “It is a very sad day. I have been in the choir for a long time and as chairman there were some dif-ficult times. Fran’s support was fantastic.” Choir chairman Mick Siddall paid tribute to Fran’s “huge energy, creativity and passion” and said the new arrangement at the top meant we had “an outstanding partnership that will take us forward.” Fran, who was Daniel’s music teacher at King Edward VII School in Sheffield, retired in 2014. He is well known as a baritone so-loist and it was in that role that he began his long association with Bolsterstone Male Voice Choir. His great enthusiasm for choral singing began with his membership of the National Youth Choir. Under Fran, Bolsterstone has won leading competitions including the Panty-fedwen Eisteddfod, the National Male Voice Choir Championships in Rhyl in 1997 where he was also awarded the trophy for best con-ductor, the National Championships in 1999, the Llangollen Eisteddfod in 2002, the Prague International Festival in 2004 and the Bangor International Festival in 2003 and 2008. Fran, who hails from north London, has Yorkshire blood flowing through his southern veins. Both

his parents were from the Huddersfield area. His paternal grandfather was Chief Constable of Huddersfield. Daniel is from Stocksbridge and was well known in the Sheffield area as a pianist, clari-nettist and singer until gaining a place to study music at Royal Holloway, University of Lon-don, in 2003. He gained a scholarship to spend a year studying at Tulane University in New Orleans with individual tuition in special-ist music areas including composition, music analysis and the origins of western notation. On his return, Daniel graduated and qualified as a secondary music teacher and continued to study part-time to achieve a Masters degree in Education in 2009 from the University of Cambridge. After working as a secondary music teacher in the London area he was promoted to senior po-sitions at Goffs School, Hertfordshire, Hinch-ley Wood School, and Caterham School, both in Surrey. Since 2014 Daniel has moved back to this area and offers tuition in voice, piano, clarinet and theory. He worked as an adviser to North Yorkshire Music Service before recently moving to a similar role in Derbyshire. Apart from Bolsterstone Male Voice Choir, he is in-volved in other local groups including Fox Val-ley Voices, Thurgoland Community Choir and Steel Valley Beacon Arts.

Chairman Mick Siddall with a cheque from president John Gill who holds a framed scroll from the choir giving thanks for his and Bradfield Brewery’s

support. The choir thanks its other donors:PA Jewellery

Joseph Sheldon TrustDransfield Properties

Bridge Charity Shop

Stocksbridge Town CouncilBolsterstone Village Fayre Committee

Dr and Mrs BH Clarkson, of the USA

Death of Derek PearsonDerek Pearson, a longtime member of the choir who was on the committee in the late 1950s and early 1960s, died on December 20th in the Northern General Hospital, aged

89. He was among those Bolsterstone choristers who took the choir to their first Eisteddfod victory in Llangollen in 1972. Derek organised the choir’s trip to Mein-erzhagen in Germany in

1989. A service was held at Grenoside Cre-matorium on January 12th.

Rex Oates, former sub-mariner, diesFormer choir member Rex Oates died at Ashgate Hos-pice, Chesterfield, on Janu-ary 16th at the age of 79. Rex, who had visited many parts of the world while serving in submarines in the Royal Navy for 12 years, was one of 10 children. He was born in Sheffield and raised in Stocksbridge. He had mar-ried his first wife Yvonne while in the Navy. The cou-ple lived in Stocksbridge and

had a daughter Carmen. Rex went on to work for HSBC at Tankersley and then spent time in East Germany with the optical firm Carl Zeiss. He joined the choir in 1986. He and his second wife Jan ran the Blacksmiths Arms at Millhouse Green for some years before moving to Greece to live. While there, Rex worked as an extra on the film Mama Mia, meeting Tom Hanks, the producer,

and Pierce B r o s -nan and m a k i n g a fleeting a p p e a r -ance in the film. Rex and Jan moved back to Mosborough and in 2013 Rex was diagnosed with motor neurone disease. The choir was represented at the funeral at Grenoside Cre-matorium on February 8th.

Festival countdownSome 300 musicians are to take part in the biggest musical event in the district for 80 years. The all-day Valley Music Festival takes place on Saturday March 24th. Details, page 3

Sudden death of Michael WarrenWe were shocked to learn of the death of a long-serving and high-ly-respected member Michael Warren who died suddenly as a Caribbean cruise he was enjoying with his wife Margaret was coming to an end. Mike, of Hollin Busk Lane, Deepcar, had raised his family in Bolsterstone.

His love of singing began at the age of eight when he joined the choir at Shef-field Cathedral alongside BMVC mem-ber Mike Hayes who later persuaded his friend to join our choir. Mike, who was a leading member of Stocksbridge Christian Centre, had served on the choir committee. Mike leaves Margaret, twin daughters Alison and Elizabeth, a son Andrew and seven grandchildren.

Balcony scene Photograph: Gerald Gilbert

The choir is pictured singing the Lord’s Prayer in the minstrels’ gallery at the Cutlers’ Hall for guests

at Sheffield and District Law Society’s annual dinner on Friday February 9th. The society’s president is Charles Neal who sings with his brother Peter in the second tenor section.

Fran Wells addresses the AGM

Issue No5

Mike Marsh: a great choir supporter

Mike Marsh, founder of PA Jewellery, who instigated the Sheffield-based firm’s annual donation to the choir, died on February 9th at the age of 70 after a brave battle with can-cer. Mike, who was a great ad-

mirer of the choir, founded the business in 1978 and was ably assisted on the accounting side of the firm by his good friend Geoff Waller (baritones) since 1981. Mike leaves a widow, Pamela, three daughters and six grandchildren.

Bolsterstone Male Voice Choir is a registered charity (No. 517581)

Photographs: Stuart Stubbs, Robert Cooke,Sam Aitken, Michael Hawkins, Judith HorsfieldA hectic Christmas ...

Joy and sadness in Wortley

All set for a festival of fun ... and great musicTHE village of Wortley, where the choir started and ended its Christmas concert season, brought mixed emo-tions. A concert at St Leonard’s on Satur-day December 9th was in memory of Marjorie White, who had organised this annual concert for many years and who died earlier in the year. Her widower, local farmer Tom White, was busy at the event as usual, greeting people, organising - and providing his home-made mulled wine. A few days later he died peacefully in his sleep at his home, Sycamore Farm, in Finkle Street, Wortley, at the age of 82. The concert, with guest artistes Thomas Hetherington and Sarah John-son and featuring a duet by Fran Wells and Daniel Timmins, was adjudged the best yet at St Leonard’s and proved a fitting tribute to longtime friends of the

choir, Tom and Marjorie. Several choir members attended Tom’s funeral. The final event of the season was a

highly-successful carvery dinner con-cert at Wortley Hall, the first time the

choir had presented a concert at the former ancestral home of the Wharn-cliffe family. There was a warm recep-tion from the audience. The choir has been invited back next Christmas.

Tom White

‘What a wonderful

time we had. We had

run out of chairs:

everybody wanted to

come to see the choir.

It made a lot of

people who live alone

at Balfour House

very happy’ - Kath

Travis

Thanks for those kind words

Kath. It was a pleasure - and

we will be back next year!

Choir members prepare to sing at Balfour House after enjoying a splendid buffet in the interval

...... and the Town Council has

already booked us again to sing

at next year’s pensioners’ party

at the Venue. This picture was

taken by former choir member

Michael Hawkins who was in the

audience

The annual concert at St Mary’s, Bolsterstone, (right) was sold out, as usual, weeks before. We were joined by Deepcar Brass Band and guest artiste Thomas Hetherington who had also played violin to acclaim at St Leonard’s, Wortley. The concert was warmly received and was followed by an enjoyable informal sing in the Castle Inn. Father Christmas, aka choir vice-president Gordon Webster, achieved a record exit collection of £514 for the church bells restoration fund and the homeless.

Choir members enjoy the festive spirit . . .

At the Nag’s Head, Loxley ...... Wortley Men’s Club ....... and the Castle Inn, Bolsterstone

LOCAL music groups have been busy rehearsing for Stocksbridge and district’s biggest musical event for 80 years. Hundreds of musicians will take part in the Valley Music Festival — an all-day event — on Saturday March 24th. It is a joint presentation by Bolsterstone Male Voice Choir and Inyerface Arts. Local music groups, including schools, will perform throughout the day at the Venue and at the Fox Valley bandstand culminating in an evening concert at the Venue with music to suit all tastes and ages. Proceeds from the ground-breaking event, which it is hoped will happen ev-ery year, will go towards starting a fund to help young local musicians. Daytime performances will be free with donations encouraged. Admission to the evening concert is by by ticket. Com-

munity musician, soprano and teacher Hilary Osborn, who leads Inyerface Arts, said: “We have been bowled over by the response from community groups, local schools and solo and ensemble perform-ers. This is a huge event by the community for the community.” Taking part will be eight local choirs, two youth choirs, rock bands, classical groups and soloists. Hilary, who lives in Deepcar, added: “There is a huge amount of talent in the valley and this event will celebrate the fact.” Bolsterstone Male Voice Choir secretary Rob Firth said: “Never before have so many musicians from the district performed together on one day. It is very exciting. It’s heart-warming to bring so many young and older musicians togeth-er.” Taking part in the evening concert, com-pered by Trisha Cooper of Radio Sheffield,

are: Bolsterstone Male Voice Choir, Deep-car Brass Band, Waldershelf Singers, Red House, Matt Johnson, Steel Valley Beacon Arts, No Identity, the Inyerface Band and special guests. The evening will end with the massed voices raising the roof by sing-ing the Rita MacNeil classic Working Man accompanied by the bands. Concert tickets at £10, £5 16s and un-der, free for accompanied under 12s: Box office 07939 256269; online www.ticketsource.co.uk/inyerfacearts and from Stocksbridge Keys, 524 Man-chester Road.●A music festival was started in Stocks-bridge in 1907 and ran for more than 30 years under Dr Robertshaw until the outbreak of the second world war. There was a limited revival after the war until Dr Robertshaw’s death in 1948. There were two Robertshaw memorial concerts in the 1950s.

Festival timetableAt the Venue: 12.00 St John’s Junior School

12.20 Soloist

12.30 Fox Valley Children’s Choir

12.45 Soloist

12.55 Royd Nursery Infants’ Choir

13.10 Soloist

13.20 Thurgoland Community Choir

13.40 Soloist

13.50 Penistone Ladies’ Choir

14.10 Antonia Johnson & Sophie Kean

14.20 Dance Dynamic

14.35 Antonia Johnson

14.40 Millhouse Green Male Voice Choir

15.00 St Ann’s Juniors

15.20 Jenny Whittaker

15.30 Joe Shaw

15.45 Emily Atkinson & Hilary Osborn

16.00 Live and Loud

16.40 Stannington Mixed Choir

17.00 Jack Chapman

7.00pm CONCERT

At the Fox Valley bandstand:

13.45 Fox Valley Children’s Choir

14.00 Emily Atkinson & Elliott Walker

14.30 Jack Chapman and Grace Stoddart

15.00 Dance Dynamique

15.20 Silver Sounds Wind Group

16.00 Millhouse Green Male Voice Choir

Choir NewsSpring 2018The newsletter of Bolsterstone Male Voice Choir

Crotchets and quavers ...We are beneficiaries of the local

charity, the Joseph Sheldon Trust, receiving a substantial grant. We are hugely grateful to Neville Woodcock and the other trustees and thanks, of course, must also go to Joseph Sheldon. But who was he? His is a remarkable story. He was born in Hathersage and endured an extremely hard early life, including a spell working as a young boy at Cocker’s wire mill in Hathersage where Bradwell-born Samuel Fox was an apprentice. Joseph left home “for good” at 13 to work for a Hathersage farmer. Seeking a change at 16, he went to Hope fair where he was hired by Tommy Crawshaw of Park Farm, Deepcar, for £9 a year. But the two fell out after only a week when the lad was made to work on Whit Monday. Joseph then spent a happy time at Joseph Crossland’s Morehall Farm before taking a job as house boy at Samuel Fox’s home at Townend, Deepcar, where Mr and Mrs Fox took a shine to the boy who had walked over from Hathersage on his first day with the family. Mrs Fox gave Joseph lessons in reading and writing and after two years he was made apprentice at Fox’s where he rapidly rose to head of light engineering before becoming chief engineer. He retired in 1907 at 62 after 45 years at Fox’s using his pension and royalties from his many steel-making inventions to travel the world. Much of his retirement was spent in public service. He died in 1935, a life well lived, leaving money for local charities. His munificence is still being enjoyed today. Thank you Mr Sheldon! =

Thanks are also due to for a substan-tial donation from the Bolsterstone

Village Fayre Committee led by Kathryn Cooke, wife of top tenor Graham Cooke, and Carol Webster, wife of choir vice-pres-ident Gordon Webster. There has been for many years a happy and mutually beneficial relationship between St Mary’s and the choir. We sing at the annual Christmas concert and the fayre without charge and in return we have free use of the church for Thursday practices when required. And we help each other in other ways. Our relation-ship goes deep: after all, it was at St Mary’s that the choir was born 83 years ago.

The AGM brought more bounty. Our president John Gill, of Bradfield Brewery, gave us a cheque. And there was a further cheque from our long-standing sponsor PA Jewellery brought by baritone Geoff Waller.We are blessed by great patrons. Cantor

Fran to hand over baton after 22 years

They were teacher and pupil at King Edward’s, now they swap their roles at top of the choir

Former member Dudley Beck dies at 91Members of the choir attended the funeral at Stocksbridge Christian Centre of long-serving member Dudley Beck who died at his home in Stocks-bridge on November 18th at the age of 91. He leaves a widow, Es-ther, a son David and two daughters Lynda and Ra-chel. David delivered a moving tribute to his fa-ther at the well-attended service conducted by the Rev James Grayson.

Forthcoming eventsSat March 10, Race Night, Castle Inn 8.30pm for choir fundsSat March 17, Wentworth Church, Wentworth Village, 7pm. Concert with Thurnscoe Harmonic MVCSun March 24, Valley Festival: The Venue, Stocksbridge. Free perfor-mances - 12noon to 5pm and at Fox Valley 1.45pm-4pm. Concert: 7.15pm, at the Venue, admission by ticket.Sat April 28th, Lomas Hall, Stanning-ton, 7.30pm. Concert with Stannington Brass BandFri May 11, Penistone Paramount, 7.30pm. Concert with Thurlstone Brass Band [email protected]

FRAN WELLS is handing over the musical director’s role at Bolsterstone Male Voice Choir to his deputy Daniel Timmins after 22 years of conducting the choir. But Fran will not be severing his long association with the choir. He is staying on as deputy musical director once Daniel has moved permanently into the MD’s po-sition later in the year after a gradual suc-cession agreed between the two. Fran announced the change in an emotional address to the choir’s annual general meet-ing on Monday January 22nd. “It’s been a heck of a ride,” he said. “Our trip to Malta is a standout memory. I was a young man when I started with you chaps and now I’m retired like so many of you. It’s time for a change for you and it’s time for me to take it a bit easier.” Fran concluded: “When people have asked, it has been a great privilege to say that I conduct Bolsterstone Male Voice Choir.” He received a standing ovation Former chairman Frank Milnes said: “It is a very sad day. I have been in the choir for a long time and as chairman there were some dif-ficult times. Fran’s support was fantastic.” Choir chairman Mick Siddall paid tribute to Fran’s “huge energy, creativity and passion” and said the new arrangement at the top meant we had “an outstanding partnership that will take us forward.” Fran, who was Daniel’s music teacher at King Edward VII School in Sheffield, retired in 2014. He is well known as a baritone so-loist and it was in that role that he began his long association with Bolsterstone Male Voice Choir. His great enthusiasm for choral singing began with his membership of the National Youth Choir. Under Fran, Bolsterstone has won leading competitions including the Panty-fedwen Eisteddfod, the National Male Voice Choir Championships in Rhyl in 1997 where he was also awarded the trophy for best con-ductor, the National Championships in 1999, the Llangollen Eisteddfod in 2002, the Prague International Festival in 2004 and the Bangor International Festival in 2003 and 2008. Fran, who hails from north London, has Yorkshire blood flowing through his southern veins. Both

his parents were from the Huddersfield area. His paternal grandfather was Chief Constable of Huddersfield. Daniel is from Stocksbridge and was well known in the Sheffield area as a pianist, clari-nettist and singer until gaining a place to study music at Royal Holloway, University of Lon-don, in 2003. He gained a scholarship to spend a year studying at Tulane University in New Orleans with individual tuition in special-ist music areas including composition, music analysis and the origins of western notation. On his return, Daniel graduated and qualified as a secondary music teacher and continued to study part-time to achieve a Masters degree in Education in 2009 from the University of Cambridge. After working as a secondary music teacher in the London area he was promoted to senior po-sitions at Goffs School, Hertfordshire, Hinch-ley Wood School, and Caterham School, both in Surrey. Since 2014 Daniel has moved back to this area and offers tuition in voice, piano, clarinet and theory. He worked as an adviser to North Yorkshire Music Service before recently moving to a similar role in Derbyshire. Apart from Bolsterstone Male Voice Choir, he is in-volved in other local groups including Fox Val-ley Voices, Thurgoland Community Choir and Steel Valley Beacon Arts.

Chairman Mick Siddall with a cheque from president John Gill who holds a framed scroll from the choir giving thanks for his and Bradfield Brewery’s

support. The choir thanks its other donors:PA Jewellery

Joseph Sheldon TrustDransfield Properties

Bridge Charity Shop

Stocksbridge Town CouncilBolsterstone Village Fayre Committee

Dr and Mrs BH Clarkson, of the USA

Death of Derek PearsonDerek Pearson, a longtime member of the choir who was on the committee in the late 1950s and early 1960s, died on December 20th in the Northern General Hospital, aged

89. He was among those Bolsterstone choristers who took the choir to their first Eisteddfod victory in Llangollen in 1972. Derek organised the choir’s trip to Mein-erzhagen in Germany in

1989. A service was held at Grenoside Cre-matorium on January 12th.

Rex Oates, former sub-mariner, diesFormer choir member Rex Oates died at Ashgate Hos-pice, Chesterfield, on Janu-ary 16th at the age of 79. Rex, who had visited many parts of the world while serving in submarines in the Royal Navy for 12 years, was one of 10 children. He was born in Sheffield and raised in Stocksbridge. He had mar-ried his first wife Yvonne while in the Navy. The cou-ple lived in Stocksbridge and

had a daughter Carmen. Rex went on to work for HSBC at Tankersley and then spent time in East Germany with the optical firm Carl Zeiss. He joined the choir in 1986. He and his second wife Jan ran the Blacksmiths Arms at Millhouse Green for some years before moving to Greece to live. While there, Rex worked as an extra on the film Mama Mia, meeting Tom Hanks, the producer,

and Pierce B r o s -nan and m a k i n g a fleeting a p p e a r -ance in the film. Rex and Jan moved back to Mosborough and in 2013 Rex was diagnosed with motor neurone disease. The choir was represented at the funeral at Grenoside Cre-matorium on February 8th.

Festival countdownSome 300 musicians are to take part in the biggest musical event in the district for 80 years. The all-day Valley Music Festival takes place on Saturday March 24th. Details, page 3

Sudden death of Michael WarrenWe were shocked to learn of the death of a long-serving and high-ly-respected member Michael Warren who died suddenly as a Caribbean cruise he was enjoying with his wife Margaret was coming to an end. Mike, of Hollin Busk Lane, Deepcar, had raised his family in Bolsterstone.

His love of singing began at the age of eight when he joined the choir at Shef-field Cathedral alongside BMVC mem-ber Mike Hayes who later persuaded his friend to join our choir. Mike, who was a leading member of Stocksbridge Christian Centre, had served on the choir committee. Mike leaves Margaret, twin daughters Alison and Elizabeth, a son Andrew and seven grandchildren.

Balcony scene Photograph: Gerald Gilbert

The choir is pictured singing the Lord’s Prayer in the minstrels’ gallery at the Cutlers’ Hall for guests

at Sheffield and District Law Society’s annual dinner on Friday February 9th. The society’s president is Charles Neal who sings with his brother Peter in the second tenor section.

Fran Wells addresses the AGM

Issue No5

Mike Marsh: a great choir supporter

Mike Marsh, founder of PA Jewellery, who instigated the Sheffield-based firm’s annual donation to the choir, died on February 9th at the age of 70 after a brave battle with can-cer. Mike, who was a great ad-

mirer of the choir, founded the business in 1978 and was ably assisted on the accounting side of the firm by his good friend Geoff Waller (baritones) since 1981. Mike leaves a widow, Pamela, three daughters and six grandchildren.

Bolsterstone Male Voice Choir is a registered charity (No. 517581)

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